From Reservoirs to Corduroy: Snowmaking at Winter Park Resort

By Fiona Smith During the 2013-2014 ski season, Colorado saw 12.6 million skier visits. The ski industry across the United States alone generated around $12.2 billion during the 2009-2010 season. What makes it tick? What lies beneath that fresh corduroy and is responsible for Arapahoe Basin’s October open dates? Snowmaking. According to Winter Park Resort’s …

A conversation with Jim Lochhead and Eric Kuhn on water supply, transbasin diversions, conservation and more

Transbasin diversions have had a long, changing and important history redistributing water across Colorado.  In partnership, the Colorado Water Congress and Colorado Foundation for Water Education coordinated a series of webinars looking at these projects and exploring questions that are arising in the drafting of Colorado's Water Plan. The final webinar was a video-cast conversation between …

Colorado’s Transbasin Diversions: Perspectives

"The interesting thing about all of these tunnels is you look through them and you can see a pinpoint of light at the end," says Wayne Vanderschuere, the general manager for water and wastewater planning at Colorado Springs Utilities.  Vanderschuere was talking about transbasin diversion tunnels. The Colorado Foundation for Water Education returned from our transbasin …

Water Professionals Take a Snow Day

By Fiona Smith, From the Colorado Water Congress Blog For many water professionals, it is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day responsibilities of our jobs. Let us not forget the origin of Colorado’s most crucial natural resource. 80% of Colorado surface water supplies come from snowpack- but what does that mean exactly? How …

Water Is… Poetry

As you well know, the Colorado Foundation for Water Education appreciates the written word...  we publish Headwaters magazine, this blog, and the wonderful poet, Colorado Supreme Court Justice Greg Hobbs, serves as our publications chair-- it only makes sense. Back in 2012, a water haiku challenge posted on this blog was wildly popular-- so here …

Headwaters Stories Step Off the Page

As the Colorado Foundation for Water Education's cornerstone publication, Headwaters reaches thousands of Coloradans each year through engaging and balanced storytelling. Numerous individuals and groups find it an effective educational tool to both increase awareness of water as a scarce resource and examine water-related values and uses.  The latest edition of Headwaters, Turning on the …

Colorado Water Congress Opposes Public Trust Ballot Initiatives

Last week the Colorado Water Congress issued a Resolution in Opposition to Initiatives 3 and 45 . These Initiatives, introduced by Phil Doe of Littleton and Richard Hamilton of Fairplay, aim to amend the state constitution in a way that would dramatically change water management in Colorado. As a recent editorial blog post in High …

Colorado Water Law

A week ago on Monday May 14, the Colorado Secretary of State's website posted that the final form for the petitions to collect signatures for Public Trust Initiatives #3 and #45 have been approved-- these ballot initiatives could dramatically change water management in Colorado. To make the November ballot, each initiative must collect 86,000 valid signatures …

Water 2012 Book Club at Colorado Water Congress 2012–Video Available!

"Water is too important to fight over," said Water 2012 Book Club author Patty Limerick during last week's Colorado Water Congress 2012 Annual Convention after amending a famous quote that, according to Limerick should say that whiskey is for drinking and water is sometimes for fighter over but is also for cooperating, negotiating, sharing and …

Governor Hickenlooper Announces Water 2012 at Colorado Water Congress

Watch the video of Governor Hickenlooper announcing that 2012 is the year of water in Colorado. This will be shown during the Colorado Water Congress Annual Convention, January 26-27, 2012. During Water Congress you'll also be able to view the premier of a video that will be shown throughout the state in the coming year, …